Projectile for liquid drug delivery to animals



Feb. 2, 1960 2,923,243

PROJECTILE FOR LIQUID DRUG DELIVERY TO ANIMALS J. A. CROCKFORD EI'AL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed llarch 24, 1958 JA MES ll. a-avk/ws, HAROLD c. PALMER. BY

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1960 J. A. CROCKFORD EI'AL 2,923,243

PROJECTILE FOR LIQUID DRUG DELIVERY 'ro ANIMALS Filed March 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5" HARaa c. PALMER. I BY W 9 /x /3.,a

ATTORNEY United States Patent PROIECTILE FOR LIQUID DRUG DELIVERY TO ANIMALS Jack A. Crockford, Chamblee, and Frank A. Hayes, Seldon D. Feurt, and James H. Jenkins, Athens, and Harold C. Palmer, Atlanta, Ga., assignors to Palmer Chemical & Equipment Co., Inc., Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application March 24, 1958, Serial No. 723,441

13 Claims. (Cl. 102-92) This invention relates to a projectile for the delivery of liquid drugs to animals for treatment or paralysis.

The invention involves improvements to prior structure described in co-pending application Serial Number 673,597, filed July 23, 1957, now United States Patent Number 2,854,825.

As set forth in the co-pending application there has been a great need for a projectile of the type described which is capable of injecting drugs into animals while being fired from a distance from the animal. For example, if it is desired to treat an animal with drugs it is considerably more convenient for the vetinarian to fire a drug-containing projectile into the proper spot into an animal while standing at a distance rather than having to tie the animal down and inject the drug with the conventional injecting needle.

As further pointed out in the co-pending application there has never been a structure made that would satisfy the purposes of this invention. Prior devices have operated by means of a triggering mechanism actuated by impact of the projectile upon the animal. Such triggering has been found, in practice, to be most unreliable.

The co-pending application pointed out that reliable triggering could be obtained only if the device were triggered upon firing of the projectile. At this point the projectile is in a correct position which is always constant. Thus the triggering means always actuate.

However, as was also pointed out, it was necessary to have a delaying device built into the projectile so that the drug would not be expelled from the projectile until after the projectile has struck the animal and the injection means thereupon are actuated. This was performed, in the co-pending application, by producing a gas by the intermixture of a solid and a liquid gas producing reactant.

The instant application utilizes the same principle but embodies improvements which make the device considerably more effective. The most important improvement over the prior device is the actuation which is performed by means of the inertial force produced in firing the pro jectile rather than by means of the puncture of a container as was described in the co-pending application.

Furthermore, since inertial forces are involved, and since one of the gas producing reactants is located behind the other, effective intermixing of the reactants is prevented until the device strikes the animal. Thus particle size is not the important factor that it was in the co-pending application in order to prevent premature actuation of the device and a wider range of conditions causes the device to be operable. Furthermore the physical conditions under which the device is used or the reactants employed are not as important as in the co-pending application.

The structure of the invention is also designed for easy manufacture, operation, and assembly.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the projectile of this invention with the body portion thereof in section to show the internal structure. The projectile is shown in loaded position and prior to firing.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the projectile of this invention with portions thereof broken away to show the internal structure. The projectile is shown in flight position immediately after firing.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the projectile taken along lines 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the projectile taken along lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the projectile of this invention with portions broken away to show the internal structure. The projectile is shown in the position that it assumes immediately after striking the animal.

Fig. 6 is a side view similar to Fig. 5 but with the entire body portion shown in section. The projectile is shown in the position that it assumes after the drug contained therewithin is injected into the animal.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the wrench device that can be used in connection with specific structure of the device to insure tightening of the front cover of the projectile of this invention.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the front cover of the projectile of this invention.

Fig. 9 is a front detail view of the front cover of this invention showing the means that can be employed to co-act with the wrench device of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a side view of the device that may be used to properly position the propelling member of this invention within the body of the projectile.

The projectile 10 of this invention comprises a hollow body 11. A front cover 12 is secured to the body 11 by threads 29 which are adapted to mesh with mating threads 30 at the front portion of body 11. A gasket 31 made of rubber or similar resilient material, is disposed between the rear portion of front cover 12 and body 11.

Injecting means, which comprise a hollow needle 14 having a channel 15 therewithin are carried by front cover 12. Needle 14 bears point 32 at its forward end and has collar 33 secured thereto. Collar 33 aids in holding the needle within the animal after a hit is secured.

Front cover 12 also bears a hole 34 therewithin which is adapted to fit the prong 35 of wrench 36 to facilitate insertion and removal of front cover 12 from body 11.

A rear cover 13 is also provided with threads 36 which are adapted to mesh with mating threads 37 on the rear portion of body 11. A gasket 38 of rubber or similar resilient material is disposed between the forward portion.

of rear cover 13 and body 11.

A wing 16 is carried by cover 13 and extends rearwardly therefrom. Wing 16 is secured within opening 17 within cover 13 by means of knot 18.

A gas actuated propelling member 19 is slidably disposed within body 11. Propelling member 19 is formed with ridges 20 to provide an air-seal between the portion of body 11 forward of member 19 and the portion of body 11 rearward of member 19.

A quantity of injectable material, such as a liquid medicinal drug or an immobilizing agent is disposed within body 11 forward of propelling member 19. The material is indicated by reference character 21.

Propelling member 19 is provided with a reactant chamber 22 therewithin which is adapted to contain a solid reactant 23. Rear cover 13 is provided with an interior recess 24 at the front portion thereof.

A displaceable cover 25 is formed with a pair of projections 26 and 27 and extends over the open end of reactant chamber 22. Projection 26 extends into reaction chamber 22 and projection 27 extends into recess 24 and is displaceable rearwardly therewithin uponfiring of projectile 10.

A liquid gas producing reactant 28 is disposed within body portion 11 but outside of displaceable cover 25.

The device can be constructed of any materials which will serve the purpose. However the preferred materials are as follows:

(1) For the body portion and the covers 12 and 13 aluminum is preferred but any other metal or plastic material having the desired properties can also be employed.

(2) For the propelling member 19 natural or synthetic rubbers are preferred but any other resilient material having the desired properties can also be employed.

(3) For the displaceable cover brass is preferred because of its ease of working and its non-corrosive properties. However any other metal or plastic material having the required properties can also be used.

(4) For the gaskets, rubber is preferred.

(5) For the wing 16 a number of strands of string are preferred. However other types of wings made of plastics, metals, or the like can also be used.

(6) For the liquid gas producing reactant water is the preferred material since it will not corrode the parts of the projectile with which it comes into contact and is readily available. However, depending upon the solid gasproducing reactant that is used, the liquid reactant may be hydrochloric or other mineral acid, acetic or other relatively strong liquid organic acid, hydrogen peroxide, etc.

(7) For the solid gas-producing reactant, two substances which may also include a combination of the preferred materials are a combination of sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid. This material is preferably combined with inert material such as saccarine or calcium carbonate or the like. Other solid gas-producing reactants that may be employed, again depending upon the liquid gasproducing reactant used, are zinc or other metal above hydrogen in the electromotive force series of metals, manganese dioxide, sodium peroxide, etc.

With the foregoing specific description of this invention the operation thereof will be explained.

The operator of the device removes rear cover '13 from body 11 by unscrewing the same. The solid gas producing reactant 23 (preferably in the form of tablets) is placed within reactant chamber 22 of propelling member 19. Displaceable cover 25 is then placed in position above reactant chamber 22 with projection 26 extending into said chamber. The assembly consisting of propelling member 19 and its cover 25 is then inserted into the rear of body 11. Pusher 40 is then employed to push propelling member 19 into body 11 for the proper distance. This distance is determined when stop 41 of pusher 40 engages the outer rear wall of body 11. Pusher 40 is then removed from the interior of body 11 by the use of handle 42.

A quantity of solid gas producing reactant (such as water) is then placed within the rear interior portion of body 11 rearward of the position of propelling member 19 and cover 25. After this is done rear cover 13 is screwed tightly into position upon body 11.

Front cover 12 is then removed from body 11 by unscrewing the same. Since it is important that front cover fit tightly about body 11 to prevent loss of injectable material it is removed and replaced by means of wrench 36 whose projection 35 fits into hole 34 in front cover 12.

After front cover 12 is removed the injectable material is placed into the cavity within body 11 between the front portion thereof and the position assumed by propelling member 19. The quantity of injectable material is measured and is determined by the efiect desired upon injection.

After the injectable material is inserted into the projectile front cover 12 is screwed back into place and tightened by means of wrench 36.

The projectile is then placed into a gun (preferably of the air type) and the gun fired. The firing of the projectile causes an inertial force to be exerted upon cover 25. Since cover 25 is clear of the upper portion 32 of recess 24 the inertial force drives cover 25 against portion 32 of recess 24 (Fig. 2). The gas producing reactants can now intermix. However since the liquid gas producing reactant 28 is also subject to inertial force it is generally held behind solid reactant 23 (Fig. 2). Thus the reactants will generally not intermix until the projectile strikes the animal as shown in Fig. 5. When this happens the inertial force produced on impact drives both reactants together (Fig. 5). This produces a gas which expells the injectable material from the device (Fig. 6).

We claim:

1. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain liquid injectable material, a hollow injecting needle at one end of said body portion, a separable rear cover threadedly secured to the opposite end of said body portion provided with an interior recess at the front thereof, a wing member carried by said rear cover and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a gas actuated propelling member slidably movable within said body portion and provided with a reactant chamber therewithin open at one end thereof, said reactant chamber being adapted to hold a first reactant, a displaceable cover about the open end of said reactant chamber having a pair of oppositely extending projections, wherein one of said projections extends into said reaction chamber and the other of said projections is displaceable into the recess within said rear cover, means within said body portion for disposing a second reactant outside of said displaceable cover, one of said reactants being a solid and the other a liquid, said reactants being capable of producing a gas upon intermixture but only after a discrete period of time after said intermixture, and wherein said cover is displaced from said reactant chamber by the inertial force produced by firing of said projectile so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said injectable material out of said body portion through said hollow needle.

2. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain liquid injectable material, a separable front cover and a separable rear cover threadedly secured to said body portion at opposite ends thereof, a hollow injecting needle carried by said front cover, an interior recess within said rear cover at the front thereof, a wing member carried by said rear cover and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a gas actuated propelling member slidably movable within said body portion and provided with a reactant chamber therewithin open at one end thereof, said reactant chamber being adapted to hold a first reactant, a displaceable cover about the open end of said reactant chamber having a pair of oppositely extending projections, one of said projections extending into said reactant chamber and the other of said projections displaceably movable within the recess in said rear cover means within said body portion for disposing a second reactant outside of said displaceable cover, one of said reactants being a solid and the other a liquid, said reactants being capable of producing a gas upon intermixture but only after a discrete period of time after said intermixture, and wherein said cover is displaced from said reactant chamber by the inertial force produced by firing of said projectile so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said injectable material out of said body portion through said hollow needle.

3. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain liquid injectable material, a separable front cover threadedly secured to said body portion at one end thereof, a hollow injecting needle carried by said front cover, a separable rear cover threadedly secured to said body portion at an opposite end thereof and provided with an interior recess at the front thereof, a wing member carried by said rear cover and projecting rearwardly therefom, a gas actuated propelling member slidably movable within said body portion and provided with a reactant chamber therewithin open at one end thereof, a first solid reactant within said reactant chamber, a displaceable cover about the open end of said reactant chamber having a pair of oppositely extending projections, one of said projections extending into said reactant chamber and the other of said projections displaceably movable within the recess within said rear cover when said projectile is fired, a second liquid reactant disposed within said body portion outside of said displaceable cover, said reactants being capable of producing a gas after intermixture but only after a discrete period of time after such intermixture, and wherein said cover is displaced from said reactant chamber by the inertial force produced by firing of said projectile so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said injectable material out of said body portion through said hollow needle.

4. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body adapted to contain liquid injectable material, a separable front cover threadedly secured to said body portion at one end thereof, a first gasket between said front cover and said body portion, leverage means upon said front cover, ahollow injecting needle carried by said front cover, a separable rear cover threadedly secured to said body portion at an opposite end thereof and provided with an interior recess at the front thereof, a wing member carried by said rear cover and extending rearwardly from the outer surface thereof, a second gasket between said rear cover and said body portion, a gas actuated propelling member slidably movable within said body portion and provided with a reactant chamber therewithin open at one end thereof, a first solid reactant within said reactant chamber, a displaceable cover about the open end of said reactant chamber having a pair of oppositely extending projections, one of said projections extending into said reactant chamber and the other of said projections displaceably movable within the recess within said rear cover when said projectile is fired, a second liquid reactant disposed within said body portion outside of said displaceable cover, said reactants being capable of producing a gas after intermixture but only after a discrete period of time after such intermixture, and wherein said cover is displaced from aid reactant chamber by the inertial force produced by firing of said projectile so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said injectable material out of said body portion'through said hollow needle with suflicient force to cause injection of said material.

5. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain injectable material, injection means thereupon, a gas actuable propelling member slidably movable within said body portion, a reactant chamber in operative relationship with said propelling member and adapted to hold a first reactant, a displaceable cover about said reactant chamber, means for disposing a second reactant about the outside of said cover, said cover being displaced from said reactant chamber upon change in motion of said projectile so that said first and second reactants intermix producing a gas actuating said propelling member and driving said injectable material out of said body portion through said injection means.

6. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain injectable material, injection means thereupon, a gas actuated propelling member slidably movable within said body portion, a reactant chamber in operative relationship with said propelling member and adapted to hold a first reactant, a cover about said reactant chamber displaceable by change in motion of said projectile and means for disposing a second reactant about the outside of said cover, wherein said cover is displaced from said reactant chamber and said first and second reactants intermix producing a gas to actuate said propelling member and drive said injectable material out of said body portion through said injection means.

7. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain injectable material, injection means and stabilizing means thereupon, a gas actuable propelling member slidably movable within said body portion, a reactant chamber in operative relationship with said propelling member and adapted to hold a first reactant, a cover about said reactant chamber displaceble by change in motion of said projectile and means for disposing a second reactant about the outside of said cover, said first and second reactants producing a gas upon intermixture so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said injectable material out of said body portion through said injection means.

8. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain injectable material, injection means and stabilizing means upon said body portion at opposite ends thereof, a gas actuable propelling member slidably movable within said body portion, a reactant chamber in operative relationship with said propelling member and adapted to hold a first reactant, a cover about said reactant chamber displaceable by change in motion of said projectile, means for disposing a second reactant about the outside of said cover, said first and second reactants producing a gas upon intermixture so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said injectable material out of said body portion through said injection means.

9. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain injectable material, injection means and stabilizing means upon said body portion at opposite ends thereof, a gas actuable propelling member slidably movable within said body portion, a reactant chamber in operative relationship with said propelling member and adapted to hold a first reactant, a cover about. said reactant chamber displaceable by change in motion of said projectile, means for disposing a second reactant about the outside of said cover, said first and second reactants being capable of producing a gas upon intermixture, one of said reactants being a solid and the other a liquid, and wherein said cover is displaced from said reactant chamber by the inertial forces produced by change in motion of said projectile so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said injectable material out of said body portion through said injection means.

10. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain liquid injectable material, injection means and stabilizing means upon said body portion at opposite ends thereof, a gas actuable propelling member slidably movable within said body portion, a reactant chamber in operative relationship with said propelling member and adapted to hold a first reactant, a cover about said reactant chamber displaceable by change in motion of said projectile, means for disposing a second reactant within said body portion but outside of said cover, one of said react-ants being a solid and the other a liquid, said reactants being capable of producing a gas upon intermixture, and wherein said cover is displaced from said reactant chamber by the inertial force produced by change in motion of said projectile so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said injectable material out of said body portion through said injection means.

11. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain liquid injectable material, a hollow needle and a wing member upon said body portion at opposite ends thereof, a gas actuable propelling member slidably movable within said body portion and provided with a reactant chamber therewithin open at one end thereof, said reactant chamber being adapted to hold a first reactant, a displaceable cover about the open end of said reactant chamber, means for disposing a second reactant within said body portion but outside of said cover, one of said reactants being a solid and the other a liquid, said reactants being capable of producing a gas upon intermixture, and wherein said cover is displaced from said reactant chamber by the inertial force produced by change in motion of said projectile so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said insaid body portion and provided with a reactant chamber therewithin open at one end thereof, said reactant chamber being adapted to hold a first reactant, a displaceable cover about the open end of said reactant chamber, means within said body portion for disposing a second reactant outside of said displaceable cover, one of said reactants being a solid and the other a liquid, said reactants being capable of producing a gas upon intermixture, and wherein said displaceable cover is displaced from said reactant chamber by the inertial force produced by change in motion of said projectile so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said injectable material out of said body portion through said hollow needle.

13. An injecting projectile comprising a hollow body portion adapted to contain injectable material, separable front and rear covers threadedly secured to opposite sides of said body portion, a hollow needle carried by said front 25 cover, a rearwardly extending wing member carried by said rear cover, a gas actuable propelling member slid ably movable within said body portion and provided with a reactant chamber therewithin open at one end thereof, said reactant chamber being adapted to hold a first reactant, a displaceable cover about the open end of said reactant chamber, means within said body portion for disposing a second reactant outside of said displaceable cover, one of said reactants being a solid and the other a liquid, said reactants being capable of producing a gas upon intermixture but only after a discrete period of time after said inter-mixture, and wherein said displaceable cover is displaced from said reactant chamber by the inertial force produced by change in motion of said projectile so that said propelling member is actuated and drives said injectable material out of said body portion through said hollow needle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,815,300 Harris July 21, 1931 2,348,337 Francis May 9, 1944 2,390,246 Folkman Dec. 4, 1945 

